going to madrid, next best cities to visit in spain
 

I am going to spain for approximately 1 week and will be in Madrid for a small part of that time. How long would you suggest staying in madrid- what is there to do there
and if you had one other city to choose in spain
which would it be?
what would you do there?
how would you travel there?
how long would you stay?

Huesca, what a beautiful place!

Prefer Barcelona to Madrid though theres plenty to see and do in Madrid.

I would have 3 full days in Madrid,one of these to go to Toledo, then fly to Barcelona for 4 days.

I prefer almost any city in Spain to Madrid.

Depending on your interests I much prefer the unique history of Andalusia - Seville, Cordoba, Granada - adn the white towns in the area.

Barcelona is uniue and exciting.

Merida has a wonderful flavor and some fantastic Roman ruins.

San Sebastian and that whole area is also fascinating - and very differen than most of Spain.

I would do one day in Madrid, seeing the Prado, then a day in Toledo, then take the high speed train to Seville for several days. Seville is a magical city - explore the tiny winding streets of the Jewish Quarter, the Alcazar, the Cathedral, the Alfalfa area, etc, etc.

I second Zootsi's recommendations. Definitely do Toledo (by train) for a day. If time allows, on to Seville. I'd recommend 2 days min. for Seville.

Take a look at www.maribelsguides.com. A Fodors poster, Maribel has compiled a wonderful resource on many of the cities and regions in Spain.

I used it to plan my recent trip which included visits to Madrid and Barcelona. I really enjoyed both cities. We only spent two nights in Madrid but especially enjoyed the midnight flamenco show at Casa Patas, www.casapatas.com. The atmosphere in the Plaza Santa Ana at night is wonderful, with many outdoor bars and restaurants, craft and jewelry vendors, musicians, and dancers. We went to the Prado to see the art and to the Reina Sofia Museum, which houses Picasso's Guernica. In our short visit, my companions and I all decided we would like to come back for a longer stay.

In Barcelona, we took the Bus Turistic to many sites around the city. There are mountains at both ends of the city with trams, cable cars, and funiculars leading to great views over the city and the port. There is the unique architecture of Gaudi. Wonderful restaurants. The colorful Boqueria market. Museums dedicated to Picasso and to Miro.

We took cheap flights within Spain on Vueling, www.vueling.com. Our tickets came to around 25 euros apiece including tax for each flight between Spanish cities.